A Rankin County judge has denied a motion by Carly Madison Gregg’s attorneys to grant a new trial to the 15-year-old previously given two life sentences for killing her mother and shooting her stepfather in Brandon earlier this year.
Gregg’s lawyers contended that new evidence surfaced after the conclusion of the teenager’s September trial. The attorneys specifically pointed to comments Gregg’s biological father, Kevin Gregg, made in an interview with local Jackson TV station WLBT.
In a response to the motion, state prosecutors Kathryn Newman and Michael Smith said the defense’s motion doesn’t comply with the Mississippi Rule of Criminal Procedures because it fails to state the “specific factual grounds and specific legal authority” in support of the allegations. They also said in the response that the initial verdict was correct and there were no errors that adversely affected the defendant.
Circuit Court Judge Dewey Arthur sided with the prosecution and noted that any additional information brought to life after the trial would have swayed the jury to return a different verdict.
Gregg’s conviction and sentencing came after initially turning down a plea deal that would have sent her to prison for 40 years and allowing her to forego a trial, which risked the heavier-handed sentencing that she eventually received. Newman and Smith say, that while the appeal motion from Gregg’s defense was expected, the outcome of the trial was just and correctly applied.
Back in March, the teenager shot and killed her mother, Ashley Smylie, at their Brandon home and later shot her stepfather, Heath Smylie, before being caught by Rankin County Sheriff’s Deputies. The case against Gregg garnered international attention and captivated audiences watching her trial which was streamed on Court TV.
Ahead of Arthur’s ruling, Gregg’s legal team filed an appeal with the Mississippi Supreme Court.
